Ansel Elgort Denies Accusation of Sexually Assaulting Underage Girl

By Alex Stedman, Variety

Ansel Elgort has responded to a Twitter post published on Friday morning, in which a woman accused the actor of sexually assaulting her when she was 17.

“I cannot claim to understand Gabby’s feelings but her description of events is simply not what happened,” he wrote in an Instagram response on Saturday evening. After giving his interpretation of events, including a claim that “Gabby and I had a brief, legal and entirely consensual relationship,” Elgort apologized for his past actions, including how he broke up with her. “As I look back at my attitude, I am disgusted and deeply ashamed of the way I acted.”

A Twitter user with the handle @Itsgabby posted on Friday a since-deleted text note with the caption “my story of Ansel Elgort,” saying she was “sexually assaulted a couple days after I turned 17.” She wrote that she DMed Elgort and got his private Snapchat account, when she was “just a kid and was a fan of him,” and she didn’t expect a response.

“So when it happened instead of asking me if I wanted to stop having sex knowing it was my first time and I was sobbing in pain and I didn’t want to do it the only words that came out of his mouth were ‘we need to break you in,’” she wrote. “I WASN’T there in that moment mentally. I disassociated myself and just felt like my mind was gone I was in shock.”

She said Elgort was in his 20s at the time and, although it’s unclear exactly when the alleged assault took place, Snapchat DMs @Itsgabby posted that are apparently from Elgort are dated for 2014. She also posted a photo allegedly of her and Elgort, with her face partially obscured by her own hand.

Reps for Elgort, best known for his roles in The Fault in Our Stars, the Divergent series and Baby Driver, have not yet responded to request for comment. Variety has also reached out to @Itsgabby for more information.

“I couldn’t leave I was only 5’2 and 98 pounds,” @ItsGabby went on in the Twitter post. “He made me think this is how sex was supposed to be. I WAS SO YOUNG AND HE KNEW THAT. He as well said stuff like ‘you’re going to be such a beautiful young lady when you’re older.’ I was f—ing 17.”

In addition to the assault, @Itsgabby alleged that Elgort also asked her for nude photos, and to have a threesome with her and one of her “dance friends,” who was also underage. She said she was told not to tell anyone because it could “ruin his career,” and that she suffers from PSTD and panic attacks because of the alleged assault.

“Finally I’m ready to talk about it and finally heal,” she concluded. “I just want to heal and I want to tell other girls who have been through the same s— as me, you’re not alone.”

See Elgort’s full Instagram response: